Academics

Community at the International Level: Exploring the Nexus of Politics and International Law

Posted on December 2, 2013

Will continued talks between the U.S. and Iran yield a lasting agreement on Iran's nuclear program?

If they reach a lasting agreement, will it be written as a hard law (a treaty) or a soft law (a memorandum of understanding?)

How do international and domestic politics affect which type of law is used to address international dilemmas?

This talk will review the tradeoffs that states face in deciding whether to use hard or soft law to address international dilemmas. Professor Irish will present an argument for incorporating process concerns when researching the nexus of politics and international law. He will also share his recent work on the politics and timing of treaty ratifications. We will then discuss when states are better off forging hard or soft law, and other policy implications of this research.